HTC Flyer is a compact
7-inch touchscreen Android 2.3.3 tablet with 600x1024 pixels res, which
will come with an integrated pressure-sensitive pen experience, courtesy
of the new HTC Scribe technology. The feature will be used for
note-taking and drawing. The tablet will be constructed out of HTC
trademark aluminum unibody. It will be powered by a single-core 1.5GHz
processor, and will feature 1GB RAM, coupled with 32GB of built-in
storage (microSD slot is available). For photo and video taking the
tablet biz will offer a 5MP main shooter, as well as a secondary 1.3MP
front-facing cam for video chats. Powering all this goodness will be
courtesy of a 4000mAh battery that is said to provide up to 4 hours of
constant video playback.
Hands on: Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC review
Tablet PC? More like table PC
Every year at CES,
technology gets bigger. We've seen 85-inch televisions, 6-inch
phablets, and now Lenovo has upped the ante with an awesome touch-based
monstrosity. Too big to be a tablet and too touch oriented to be your
average all-in-one PC, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon is the first
so-called table PC.
And it is the size of a table. When we first
laid eyes on this 27-inch beast, we imagined a group of architects or
engineers using it to study the latest blueprints. However, we were
surprised to learn that Lenovo plans to market the Horizon to home
users. Armed with Windows 8,
plus a custom interface of Lenovo's own design and a few games made
especially for this big touchscreen, Lenovo's IdeaCentre Horizon Table
PC is ready to take the living room by storm. While we loved playing on
this big high definition display, we wonder if it's too niche or, dare
we say, unwieldy for the average household.
Stand up
Propped
up on a desk, the Horizon actually doesn't seem that mammoth. 27-inches
is a great size for an HD display, especially if you dabble in gaming
or graphic design. A built in stand on the back keeps it at a
comfortable, familiar viewing angle.
Fold that stand into the
Horizon's back and the display lays flat. This is the Horizon at its
most unique, and also its most cumbersome. For our deomstration at CEs
the Horizon was loaded into a custom rolling table. This made it easy to
move the horizon into place, and get four or so people gathered around
it. Of
course, we have no such setup in our house. While we were the idea of
gathering around the Horizon to share photos and YouTube videos with
friends, we struggled to think of where we would do so in our apartment.
It's
not bound to a power cable though. The Horizon has a battery that
allows it to go untethered for two hours, according to Lenovo.
All are equal around the Horizon
Laying
the Horizon flat triggers Lenovo's custom UI. Design specifically for
the multiple users gathered around the table PC at all sides, every icon
can be moved and rotated. Adjusting the orientations of the photo wheel
and app selector makes for an extremely democratic setup where all
users have equal access. Four
friends gathered around a rectangle recalls a board game session, and
the Horizon actually comes loaded with Monopoly, among other games. EA
Games had made a custom version of the classic game of capitalism, which
can be played Horizon-style, with friends standing at each side. Ubisoft
has also made a top-down, fast and furious shooter. This game is
controlled using joysticks that suction cup onto the Horizon's glass.
There are also sliding strikers used for controlling air hockey, and a
e-dice that can be rolled on any surface, with the outcome automatically
reported to the Horizon. While
these applications were designed for the Horizon, they weren't
flawless. Air hockey felt a tad laggy. The plastic strikers dragged
their digital counterparts with a little bit of lag. It felt a big like
dragging a magnet.
What's inside?
The Horizon Table PC may
not look like your average computer, but its got familiar internals.
When it releases this summer, it'll be available with i3, i5 and i7
configurations, and up to 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive. Horizon's UI is meant for use from all sidesIts
display is full HD at 1080 x 1920, and it supports 10-point
multi-touch. It runs Windows 8 spectacularly, We've never enjoyed simply
navigating the start screen so much as we did with this massive
touch-friendly screen.
Early Verdict
When you like at it
as an all-in-one, the Lenovo Horizon Table PC isn't so niche. Packing
everything inside that 27-inch touch display for the sort of simple,
elegant presentation we usually see from Apple.
While the reclined
mode is the most fun, it's also the least practical. If you've got the
space, it would be a great way to share vacation photos or play a board
game or two. The fact that Lenovo has garnered support from EA Games and
Ubisoft, giants of the gaming space, has us hopeful that more apps will
be designed for this unique device.
Finally, it's not terribly
expensive either, at least for the lower end version. i3 configurations
start at only $999, so even if you're not running your own graphic
design firm, the Horizon Table PC isn't out of your reach.
Stay tuned for our full review of the Lenovo Horizon Table PC.
This feels like a mobile device pretending to be a desktop
You could throw a stone and hit an Android-powered device at CES
this year. You have the usual suspects, like smart phones and tablets.
And, a few attempted to mimic the job of a traditional PC.
Yet,
the VSD240 is something entirely different. It's an Android device
that's a flat out, no holds barred desktop. It may sport a touch screen,
but there's absolutely nothing portable about it.
But first, a look at the raw numbers: the entire show is driven by a quad-core, 1.7Ghz processor from Nvidia and Android 4.1: Jelly Bean. What's more, the screen itself is a 4-inch (23.6 inch visible) 1920x1080 Full HD LED screen.
The good news
When
it comes to performance, the VSD240 is ultra fast and fluid. It's the
immediate successor of the award winning VSD220, which is very similar
in specs. The major difference between the two is the VSD240 ran Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich, and its OMAP 4 was not quite up to the task for some. And
while the VSD220 is no slouch, when testing the input lag between the
old and the new side by side, there is no comparison. The VSD240 is much
faster and smoother. Otherwise, images displayed look quite nice, as
well.
The drawback
There is one important aspect that some might find a tad bit annoying; completely surrounding the screen is pure black strip. This is for swiping on and off the screen, which is an important input on Android handsets.
Normally,
such negative space is pretty much negligible on most Android devices,
since they normally fit in the palm of your hand.
But when blown
up to scale, it's this large area that appears to not be used.
Unfortunately, when using the monitor to display a signal from a PC or
Mac, that unused screen space is still pure black, contrary to what one
might hope.
Still, the VSD240 is an intriguing machine - a purely
desktop machine that uses a mobile OS. When asked about upgrading
Android in the future, the ViewSonic rep said that it was definitely
possible, even though the previous machine has yet to be given the Jelly
Bean fixings.
Such an update will come directly from ViewSonic and not from Google directly.
Hands on: Netgear NeoTV Prime with Google TV review
Not yet rated
For
Google TV provides a slick UI
Rare apps like Slingplayer and Hulu Plus
Integrates live TV with PrimeTime
Remote includes 6 labeled app shortcuts
Against
Pricier than the competition
QWERTY remote isn't backlit
Hands on: Netgear NeoTV Prime with Google TV review
Netgear's flagship NeoTV model takes on Apple TV and Roku
Netgear
is moving from the computer room to the front room with the NeoTV Prime
with Google TV, its all-in-one media streamer announced at CES 2013.
The company, primarily known for wireless routers,
worked closely with Google to bring just about every possible
mainstream app to its 1080p HD set-top box powered by Android Honeycomb.
All of the usual suspects are here: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Pandora, YouTube, HBO Go, Crackle, and Amazon Instant Video.
But
it's the rarer features like the Google Play store, Slingplayer app,
and the ability to co-op a cable box's live TV signal that sets the
NeoTV Prime apart from its media streaming competition. The robust Netgear NeoTV Prime app list
Google TV integration is open to the competition
The Google Play store has thousands of apps and now offers movies, TV shows and songs.
But
you aren't limited to downloading from Google Play. The Google TV
search function plays nicely with others by listing all of the places
where you can buy or rent digital content.
If you want to purchase The Hangover
and it happens to be cheaper on Amazon Instant Video, this box is going
to let you know. Yes, the NeoTV actually saves you money, while Google
loses money.
The Google TV PrimeTime feature will save you time,
too. Sort of like Netflix's suggestions based on viewing habits, Google
TV takes into account your live TV, app, and web preferences to learn
and recommend movies and shows that are right for you.
To top it off, it comes with a full Chrome browser that supports Flash and HTML5.
The
integration of Adobe's sometimes-outcast software is important because
it's still widely used on the web, and also because owners of this
Google TV device can stick it to their Apple TV-owning friends. You can rent and buy content outside of the Google Play store.
Watch real TV with the NeoTV Prime
One
of the downsides to cutting the cable TV cord or adding yet another
set-top box to your home is that you complicate watching live TV.
Switching back and forth between a DVR and a media streamer has never
been fun, even with the best HDMI switch box.
The Netgear NeoTV
Prime solves that problem by including an HDMI input as well as an
output. This extra port, uncommon among set-top boxes, allows the
Google TV device to act as a passthrough box.
Now all it takes to
control TV channels is plugging a satellite or cable box's HDMI cable
into the HDMI input, and utilizing the pair of IR blasters that come
with the NeoTV Prime.
The Slingplayer app also helps travelers and cord-cutters retain live television. It acts as an alternative to the SlingCatcher, a discontinued product.
Netgear's NeoTV line is one of two set-top box devices on the market (the Boxee Box is the other) to have this invaluable Slingplayer app. The versatile NeoTV Prime remote control
NeoTV Prime remote control
Like the app-filled NeoTV Prime box, its remote control has just about all of your bases covered.
A
touchpad sits at the top of the remote's front side for all of the
times you wish your set-top box had a mouse for the browser. Below of
the touchpad are more typical buttons for DVR playback and changing the
volume and channels.
You can also instantly navigate to your
favorite apps thanks to a wide range of labels start buttons at the very
bottom. There are shortcuts to Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube,
HBO Go, Crackle and My Media.
Searching for content within these
apps and inputting text into the Chrome browser is handled by a QWERTY
keyboard on the back side.
The remote's box shape design is a
little uninspiring and, unfortunately, nothing on the remote is backlit.
This can complicate life when you've already dimmed the house lights
and attempt to type the name of a movie into the search bar.
The NeoTV Prime remote isn't beautiful, but it has a lot of smart features if you prefer brains over beauty. The rear ports of the Netgear NeoTV Prime
NeoPrime TV vs Roku 2XS vs Apple TV
It'd
be easy to mix up the Netgear NeoTV Prime with its all-in-one streaming
device competition. It comes with a lot of the same apps as the Apple TV, Roku 2 XS, and Boxee Box, and it's a similar discrete 4.7 inches by 4.1 inches by 1.5 inches.
The
biggest differences are inside this polished black box. The addition
of Google TV PrimeTime, Google Search, the Slingplayer app and live TV
give the NeoTV Prime a slick interface.
Its integration with
Android devices makes the NeoTV Prime even more convenient if you own a
Google-powered smartphone or tablet.
These extra features come at a
slight premium, though. The NeoTV Prime with Google TV costs $129.99 in
the U.S., around $30 more than the competition.
Then again, you
may be able to make up that amount over time, as Google suggests the
cheapest alternatives to downloading movies and TV shows instead of
funneling you to a store like iTunes.
Early Verdict
The
Google TV integration makes the NeoTV Prime the best media streaming
option from Netgear, and the best among its many rivals.
Its slick
user interface, live TV integration, Slingplayer app, and superior
remote make it the app-filled media box to beat in 2013.
The laptop-tablet hybrid is back in a smaller version with Windows RT
Windows RT
devices haven't exactly been flying off the shelves, and with delays
besetting the whole market as manufacturers struggle to work out the
demand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is here to give RT a much-needed
boost.
The Yoga 11 is the little brother of last year's Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, one of the flagship laptop-tablet hybrids for the launch of Windows 8.
At
11 inches, it's smaller and runs the ARM-powered RT version of Windows,
which means it has more in common with an Android tablet than a
traditional laptop. While
the market has been disappointingly quiet, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11
offers something a little different for Windows hybrid hunters. Its
screen is the same size as the Sony Vaio Duo 11, and an inch smaller than the Dell XPS 12, but those machines run full-fat x86 Intel chips and cost over £1,000/US$1,100.
Then there's the ARM-based Asus Vivo Tab and Samsung Ativ Tab, which run low-power mobile chips but take a tablet form, with a detachable transformer-style keyboard.
In fact, the closest competitor to the Lenovo Yoga 11 is either Microsoft Surface with Touch Type or the Asus VivoBook S200,
the £450 (around AU$687/US$725) Intel Core i3 based touchscreen laptop,
which we loved. However, while they are both touchscreen, the VivoBook
can't match the Lenovo's special bendy abilities.
The Yoga gets
its name because of its unusual design that enables the screen to rotate
fully backwards until it becomes an 11-inch tablet. This dual hybrid
use is part of the new drive from PC manufacturers to enable users to
carry a single device rather than a laptop and a tablet. However, while carrying the Yoga instead of two devices might save your back, don't count on it saving your wallet.
The Yoga 11 is overshadowed by a colossal price tag that will make most would-be iPad
hunters baulk. £699/US$849 (around AU$1,069) for a Windows RT device is
huge, and with the chips, cost of the operating system, RAM, cooling
and other costs reduced, we're not quite sure how it justifies this
asking price. There
are other disadvantages as well. Running Windows RT means it can't run
any app that's not from the fledgling Windows Store, and the tablet form
factor is nowhere near as svelte as the iPad - measuring 298 x 204 x
15.6 mm (11.7 x 8.0 x 0.61 inches).
So can it overcome these problems to become the perfect hybrid device, or will it simply disappoint on both fronts?
Specifications
The
Nvidia Tegra 3 processor that powers the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is the
same as you'll find in heaps of Android tablets from 2012 and in 2013.
However, the Windows model isn't as powerful as the ones enjoyed by its
Android-based cousins, and when all four cores are used, it can run at a
maximum of 1.3GHz.
When powering an Android device, Tegra can
run at up to 1.6GHz, which means that the ferocious power we've seen on
the likes of the Asus Transformer Prime or Google Nexus 7 doesn't quite translate here. It's
backed up by 2GB of RAM, which is standard for an ARM-based tablet. The
smaller apps don't require the gargantuan amount of RAM needed in
full-fat Windows PCs, so don't get too hung up about the lack of memory.
Inside
you'll find a choice of 32GB or 64GB SSD hard drive (we tested the
64GB), which is a figure we are going to get hung up about. Most of the
Yoga's direct rivals feature a 128GB SSD at least, with the Dell XPS 12 boasting a colossal 256GB model, albeit at nearly double the price of the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11.
There's
plenty of connectivity in the shape of USB ports and an SD card slot,
so you can add storage via USB and cloud services such as Dropbox. But
we think that if you're going to plump for a single hybrid device, you
will need more space than a paltry 64GB.
Being a Tegra-based
laptop/tablet, there's no dedicated graphics like you'd find on a
beefier Windows laptop, so you'll have to make do with the mobile chip's
3D capabilities. That doesn't account for a great deal, and there's not
enough power for the latest games - not that it matters, since they
won't be compatible with Windows RT. However,
the Tegra chip does have enough power for HD movies and some of the
games in the Windows Store, which are starting to pick up.
The 11-inch IPS screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768, which is nowhere near the quality of the Sony Vaio Duo 11's 1080p affair. It's a real disappointment, and means that movies and games look bland and lifeless. In
this day and age the screen is not an area on which companies can
scrimp when you're up against hosts of top devices with IPS+ screens,
AMOLED and Retina. The Google Nexus 10
has upped its game to feature a 2560 x 1600 pixel display, which makes a
mockery of tablets with 1366 x 768, especially when they cost three
times the price.
Of course, Lenovo will argue that the
Windows-based ecosystem and laptop form factor make the Windows
RT-toting Lenovo Yoga 11 a better buy for people who want to work on the
move - and it has a point. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 ships with Microsoft Office 2013
and has a full-form QWERTY keyboard, and an inch extra screen
real-estate to play with. However, with the lack of apps in the store
and the expansion of Google Play, we're not sure how long that argument
is valid.
We're fans of Windows 8, but if Microsoft Office ends up on Android, there's no reason to fork out £699/US$849 (around AU$1,069) for the Yoga 11.
The
build of the Yoga 11 will also divide opinion. On the one hand it's
well-built with a pleasing orange finish that looks stylish. The slim
chassis weighs a competitive 1.27kg (2.79lbs), which stacks up well
against full featured Ultrabooks that tend to weigh around 1.3kg
(2.86lbs), and transformer-style tablets, which weigh around 900g
(1.98lbs) with their keyboard docks.
The large, well-cushioned keys offer a far better experience than Microsoft Surface, and there's a large trackpad as well. However, many tablet buyers will see the Yoga 11 as a hulking slab of plastic compared to the aluminium-adorned luxury of the iPad 4 or iPad mini.
You can buy removable docks for these devices, and while there's not
the connectivity, they are making strides to become usable work
computers.
Performance
Being a Windows RT
machine, our standard PC benchmarking tools are incompatible with the
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, so we were forced to use the same tests we
subject our Android and iOS devices to.
While these are both
tests of browser performance primarily, SunSpider works the processor,
while the visual nature of Peacekeeper means that it's a better
indicator of graphics capabilities.
Our SunSpider test revealed a score of 1126.3ms, which is a marginally slower time than Microsoft Surface,
despite running the same processor. The reason for this is unclear,
since pound for pound they are nearly identical, so perhaps Microsoft
found some extra tweaks under the hood.
However, to put that relatively meaningless SunSpider score into some context, it's drastically faster than the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity,
which scored a comparatively high 1730ms. It should be noted that the
test was performed using IE10, which is much newer and more advanced
than the standard Android offering, and dare we say it, designed with
SunSpider performance in mind. In
real-life use the Lenovo performed adequately, yet still suffered with
some of the lethargy levelled at Microsoft Surface. We also found a
number of strange behaviours, such as being unable to close a video and
the multitasking feature disappearing, which required a reboot. It's not
the kind of experience you relish when turning your tablet on for the
first time.
In Peacekeeper, a score of 368 was par for the course for Windows RT machines, but is thoroughly outgunned by the iPad 4 (951) and even the relatively toothless iPad mini (515). If you had any illusions that a Windows PC was going to outgun the existing tablet establishment, you'd be mistaken. However,
like Surface, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 managed a superb battery
score, which shows that Microsoft has achieved one major victory with
its new version.
While Microsoft Surface RT managed a whopping
7.5 hours of looping HD video, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 topped it with
a staggering 9 hours and 32 minutes. It's a major win for longevity,
and shows that Windows RT has a solid basis on which to build - we just
need to see prices fall and apps increase, fast.
It may be getting on, but don't underestimate the Prime
The Asus Transformer Prime rocked up looking to build on the success of the original Eee Pad Transformer – offering up a tablet-come-netbook experience which created a whole new sector inside the tablet market.
Although it has now been superseded by the Transformer Pad 300 and Transformer Pad Infinity, the Prime is still a decent tablet and boasts an excellent array of specs along with the now updated Android 4.0 operating system.
Of
course the big question is, can the Asus Tranformer Prime compete with
Apple's killer slates, and to a lesser extent, Samsung's Android
offerings?
We'll explore both questions in depth, but for those
whole don't like to wait around for the punch line, we'll say that the
super-thin and light Transformer Prime is still one of the best tablets
out there.
Now the new iPad is with us, can the
Transformer Prime still cut it against its Cupertino-based rival? We
compare the two tablets in a first impressions video:
Available
in both 16GB and 32GB flavours, the smaller capacity Prime will set you
back around £350 (including keyboard dock), while the 32GB tab with
dock is priced at £499 – so not particularly cheap, especially for a
product which has now been usurped by newer models .
This puts the Transformer Prime in the same bracket as the new iPad, and you may want to check out the 16GB iPad 2 for £329, while the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is still £399. The
most important spec on the Transformer Prime is the Nvidia Tegra 3
processor. Everything amazing about the tablet rests on this quad-core,
1.3GHz chip.
HD videos play smoother (and longer, with up to 12
hours of battery use for video) while games suddenly look fluid and
dynamic, with water ripple effects, smoke, fog and explosions that mimic
what you'd normally find in a PC game. The
super-crisp IPS display, which is similar to the one used on the iPad
2, is refreshingly easy on the eyes even in outdoor locations or with
incandescent bulbs blazing around you.
The rear 8MP camera is a
wonder of engineering. In several tests, HD videos recorded at 1080p
looked smooth and clear, unlike the grainier results from the Samsung
Galaxy Tab 10.1. Even the 1.2MP front-facing camera worked well for
video chats, without the typical fuzziness of other tablets.
The
Asus Transformer Prime also includes a free intuitive Asus webstorage
app for offloading your files, and you can pop in a microSD card in a
left-side slot up to 32GB each. All
of the typical connection options are here: Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth
2.1, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right and a micro HDMI port (also on
the left) for connecting to an HD TV.
The 263 x 180.8 x 8.3mm
tablet is wider than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, although the screen,
at 1280 x 800p resolution and 10.1 inches, is the same size. At
586g, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is lighter than the iPad 2 but
a touch heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, although nobody will
notice a few grams.
The Prime was once the thinnest tablet on the market, but the Toshiba AT200 has now taken that accolade, although at 8.3mm, it's still mighty slender. The
25Wh lithium-polymer battery lasts for about nine hours on a charge for
normal use. Asus claims a battery life of 12 hours if you watch mostly
videos, because of the way the Tegra 3 manages power.
The Transformer Prime has recently received an upgrade to Android 4.0.3, Ice Cream Sandwich, which is a marked improvement on the Honeycomb system it originally shipped with.
Features
We said up front that we will answer questions about whether the Asus Transformer Prime beats the Apple iPad 2, or manages to compete with the new iPad, as well see how it shapes up against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Truth be told, some of the factors that will help you decide between the three similar tablets are subtle, yet important.
Let's
start with the hardware design. All three tablets look remarkably
similar. An untrained eye wouldn't know the difference between them. Turn
the Asus Transformer Prime over on its back, and there's a silver back
cover that looks much more durable than the white plastic back of the
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and grey back of the iPads. The front IPS
screen, made with Gorilla Glass, is also durable and sharp.
The
concentric rings which provide a pattern on the rear of the Prime is
part of Asus' new design ethos, and can be found on its range of
ultrabooks, the upcoming Asus Padfone and other Transformer series
tablets - while the back is metallic and durable, it's worth noting that
it's not exactly scratch or smudge-resistant.
There's a
proprietary charge port below the main horizontal screen on the Asus
Transformer Prime, which doubles as the digital connection between
tablet and keyboard dock. There
are two extra ports that secure the tablet to the dock, and when housed
that way, the Transformer Prime works reliably as a touchscreen laptop.
Keyboard Dock
The
keyboard dock is helpful for a number of reasons. For one, it adds
another 8 hours to the total battery life (the dock itself can take a
charge, and then charge the tablet), plus it also sports USB and SD card
ports.
Then there is the keyboard itself, and if you've used a
netbook before, you'll know what this dock is like – typing speed
suffers from the slightly cramped confines of the lapdock - but you get
used to it after a while and it's still easier than typing on the
screen. Measuring
263 x 180.8 x 8 to 10.4mm, and weighing 537 grams, the dock is small
enough to fit into a laptop bag, but it is like carrying another tablet
around all day.
There are dedicated keys for changing brightness
level, volume, and wireless, which makes it easier to control the
tablet. When docked, you can use the mousepad or finger input on the
tab. One
helpful software change would have been to disable the mousepad when
you type because the small size of the keyboard makes it easy to
inadvertently brush the mousepad. In a pinch, the keyboard helps you
type up longer docs but it in no way competes with a full notebook
keyboard.
Some of the port covers on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer
Prime's dock are a bit hard to remove. For example, the one that covers
the USB port might require some prying loose with a knife.
Overall,
the Asus Transformer Prime is easy to handle. It's wider than the
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, so is easier to grip, with a slightly wider
bezel. But it seems a bit less portable for that reason as well.
Interface
Asus packed some choice extras onto the Transformer Prime, and has now got around to upgrading from the basic Android 3.2 Honeycomb user interface to the slicker Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich system, and the firm has confirmed it will be bringing Jelly Bean to the Prime in the near future.
Asus
has stayed pretty true to the pure Ice Cream Sandwich system on the
Transformer Prime, in fact there are just a few extra widgets for
quickly reading your emails, seeing the weather forecast and controlling
music tracks, plus a couple of design tweaks to note. There are no extra app widgets like there are on the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet for adding favourites to an app wheel or an app launcher.
Frankly,
these additions offer a nebulous value beyond the stock operating
system, and the intuitive Android interface allows you to easily
navigate to the apps you want. Down
in the tool bar at the bottom of the screen you'll find back, home and
multitasking buttons – the latter of which opens up the Ice Cream
Sandwich multi-tasking menu, allowing you to view all open apps and
close the ones you don't want any more by sweeping left or right over
the thumbnail.
If you like taking screenshots of your tablet's
display, then as well as holding down the power/lock and volume down
keys, in the settings menu you can also set the multi-tasking button to
take a shot when held down. In
the right corner of the tool bar you'll find the clock, battery and
notifications bar – tap on this and it'll open up the notification area,
allowing you to get a quick overview of your latest emails and social
network updates, as well as toggle settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and
GPS on and off.
There are three additional icons you can use here
to set the power level on the Prime - eco mode, balanced and
performance, depending on the tasks you're performing and the amount of
battery you wish to conserve.
Thanks to that beefy quad-core
processor, the Transformer Prime has no trouble running Ice Cream
Sandwich, allowing you to glide through the five homescreens and your
lists of apps and widgets without any hint of slowdown or lag. The
Asus Transformer Prime can happily run a multitude of applications at
the same time without issue, and we didn't experience any slow down even
when performing demanding tasks.
There's not too much more to say
about the Transformer Prime's interface, because Asus have kept things
simple, and more importantly easy to use.
Screen
The 1280 x 800 resolution, 10.1-inch screen on the Asus Transformer Prime is sharp and easy to read.
We
had no complaints reading an entire ebook on the Prime and browsing
dozens of websites. Finger swipes and presses registered accurately, and
typing was fast and responsive.
Asus chose to use a Super IPS display for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, and there are pros and cons with this. The Transformer Prime is not as bright, colourful, or crisp as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1,
so if you plan to watch movies and view photos routinely, the Samsung
is the better tablet, and of course both pale into insignificance when
put up against the Retina display on the new iPad.
In
comparing the exact same videos and photos on both devices, the Asus
Transformer Prime has a slightly dull and washed out look.
The Apple iPad 2, which also uses an IPS display, looks marginally better than the Prime but still not as vivid as the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Clearly, Asus decided to make functionality a higher priority than superior colour reproduction.
The
Asus Transformer Prime works better than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in
a variety of lighting conditions. There's even a super-bright outdoor
mode that makes the display easier to read.
There is much less
glare on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime than the Samsung Galaxy Tab
10.1, which means the screen works better, for reading emails and books
and for browsing the web. Unlike
some recent tablets, the Transformer Prime doesn't use haptic feedback
for the keyboard or for any parts of the touchscreen. Presumably this is
a trade-off with the IPS screen tech that makes it easier to view the
tablet from an angle or to view the screen in bright sunlight or by a
lamp.
It didn't hamper the experience of using the tablet, though
some users might find that haptic feedback on other tablets gives you a
tactile sense that the tablet has registered your finger press.
One
surprise is that the screen uses an oleophobic fingerprint-resistant
coating. Even more surprising is that it actually works. The chemical
agent reduced grime and finger print build-up. We found that
movie-watching was more enjoyable when there wasn't a thin residue
coating parts of the screen.
Internet, battery life and connectivity
Internet
The
Asus Transformer Prime comes loaded with the stock Android browser for
tablets, offering up tabbed browsing and a slick, intuitive interface
which makes web surfing easy as pie.
With Wi-Fi b/g/n on board
you'll be able to have a decent browsing experience, as long as you're
network connection is strong, however web on the go is out of the
question, as the Prime doesn't come 3G enabled – something the iPad and Galaxy Tab 10.1 have over Asus' offering. The Prime isn't as quick as the iPad 2
when it comes to loading web pages, with content heavy sites like
TechRadar taking around 10 seconds to fully load, which is a little
disappointing when you consider the quad-core processor which sits
inside.
Thumbnailed bookmarks are present, and the browser will
sync with your Google account and display any saved bookmarks you may
have on it, which is handy. You can also save web pages for offline reading, allowing you to digest content while out of Wi-Fi hotspots.
And because the Transformer Prime is running Ice Cream Sandwich you can always download Google Chrome (or pick from a number of others) from Google Play if you don't fancy the default offering.
Battery life
For
battery life, the Asus Transformer Prime lasted about nine hours on a
charge but of course with the extra 8 hours provided by the keyboard
dock, that's a battery span of 17 hours which is phenomenal.
This
puts the Prime (and other Transformer tablets) in a league of its own
when compared to the competition, which all have to make do with their
inbuilt battery pack, with no additional dock option to come to the
rescue.
Thanks to the extended life the Transformer Prime becomes a
more attractive proposition, easily lasting several days making it an
ideal choice for the media hungry and business travellers.
Connectivity
As we've already mentioned, the Asus Transformer Prime packs Wi-Fi and GPS into is 8.6mm body, although there's no space for 3G.
You
can also use the Transformer Prime as a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you to
share the tablet's internet connection with other devices, although we
fail to see why you'd do this, as if the Prime has a web connection it
must mean there's a Wi-Fi network in range. On
the tablet you'll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, microHDMI port, microSD
slot and a 30-pin connector port, which is used to connect the tablet to
the keyboard dock, as well as the charger and computer USB lead to.
The
keyboard dock as the added benefit of offering extra connections, with a
USB port, full sized SD card slot and the same 30-pin dock as on the
tablet – for connecting the charger/USB cable to.
Media
All
of our media tests were blazingly fast, smooth and played without any
problems thanks to the powerful quad-core processor housed inside the
Asus Transformer Prime.
Video
One of the most impressive video tests was for the Battleship
trailer, which used a high frame rate and managed to looked colourful
and clear, and played in full 1080p resolution. Every video we tested
played smooth and fast.
The Transformer Prime may be a little
wider and longer than its Apple and Samsung rivals, even though the
screens are pretty much the same size, although that's not a negative
pronouncement, and in fact means the Prime is a bit easier to grasp for
long movie watching sessions. For
those of you who like loading up your devices with digital media you'll
be pleased to learn that the Transformer Prime will happily play a wide
range of video formats including; MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264, DivX and XviD,
although it's worth noting there's no support for Quicktime.
The
default video player is very basic in nature and available via the
Gallery application – where all your video files will be stored –
offering up the standard play/pause controls and a scrubbing option.
You
can always pop over to Google Play and download a third-party player
which will offer you a more fulfilling experience, but the pre-loaded
option will be perfectible servable for most.
The well-known
YouTube app also makes an appearance on the Transformer Prime, as it
does on most Android devices, offering up an excellent user interface
allowing you to easily navigate the video sharing site.
Music
Music playback on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime also worked reliably and sound quality was excellent.
Like
most tablets, the speaker on the Prime isn't exactly state-of-the-art
quality, and is only serviceable in a pinch when you absolutely can't
use headphones.
Yes that is just the one speaker, instead of the
two speakers we saw on the side of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, so
there's not the same stero sound effect here.
That said, the Transformer Prime is just a bit louder than both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Apple iPad 2 when we cranked up the volume, even if the sound quality wasn't that great and sounded a bit distorted at times.
No tablet on the market has really exceptional sound, though, and the Asus Transformer Prime is in the same league.
Like with video, the Prime offers support for a large array of audio files including; MP3, AAC+, eAAC, WAV and WMA.
Photos
The
stock Android photo gallery is present on the Asus Transformer Prime,
providing you with a one-stop-shop for all your photographic storage –
although video shot via the tablet's cameras will be chucked in with the
images you've snapped, which can be a little annoying to sift through. The
gallery can also pull through photos from some of your social networks
including Google+ and Picasa - although there's no Facebook integration
here.
There's nothing really in the way of editing options, with
the gallery only offering you crop and rotate tools, so if you fancy get
fancy with your photos then you'll need to dig out a relevant app from
Google Play.
The Prime does offer you some sharing options,
allowing you to broadcast your pics via Bluetooth or email, as well as
posting them to the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Maps, apps and games
Maps
The
Asus Transformer Prime comes equipped with the excellent Google Maps,
allowing you to explore the world from the comfort of your own home,
plan routes, check traffic and even get turn-by-turn navigation
instructions. The
Transformer Prime comes with GPS and Wi-Fi, however there's no mobile
network compatibility present, so you won't be able to take the Prime on
the road with you as a sat-nav.
We were able to pin-point our
location on the map within a couple of seconds, and the large, bright
10.1-inch display on the Transformer Prime makes viewing maps a
pleasure, and the quad-core processor means the tablet is able to keep
up with speedy panning and zooming actions.
Apps
As the
Asus Transformer Prime runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, you've got
access to hundreds and thousands of applications via the simple to use
Google Play store. There's
a wide range of free and paid-for apps available in Google Play, with
quite a few offering free "lite" versions to give you a taste of what
the full, paid version may be like.
And it's not just apps which
Google Play deals in; you can also download games and books, as well as
rent movies and TV shows from the store. First, there's a MyLibrary app for ebooks, magazines and newspapers. Then not quite as extensive as the Amazon Kindle
Store (OK, far less extensive), the Asus @Vibe store, which is really
just a portal to Versent Books, lets you buy major bestsellers such as
John Grisham's The Litigators. Pricing
is suspiciously the same as most Amazon Kindle store bestsellers. Some
books were noticeably missing, including the latest Michael Lewis book
called Boomerang, which is featured prominently in the Kindle store.
Asus
@Vibe Music is a welcome addition. With functionally similar to the
Google Music app, this music app works like Last.fm in that you can
search for an artist and play their songs.
Each "station" lets
you play random songs by that artist. The @Vibe store also lets you play
songs you have purchased from the Asusvibe.com store, as long as you
have used a supported Asus laptop or netbook. Asus
MyCloud is a handy cloud storage portal similar to Dropbox. You get a
decent 8GB of storage for free, but keep in mind that the service limits
file size to 500MB per file for the free account.
Also, while
the app lets you offload files to the cloud, you can also access files
on one computer that is sharing files through the service. The
Asus MyNet app works exactly like the Samsung Allshare service, in that
you can set up a connection to and from another computer on the same
router network to share music, photos and videos. We tested the app with
a Sony all-in-one desktop PC and could easily share files between the
tablet and the desktop computer. The
Transformer Prime also includes the Polaris Office app for opening and
editing word processing and spreadsheet documents. It's completely
compatible with Microsoft Office.
The app does add value, especially since competing office apps like Openoffice cost £9.99 or more.
Games
If
you fancy pushing the Transformer Prime to the max in terms of speed
and graphical power, head to the Nvidia's Tegra Zone store,
pre-installed on the tablet, where you can download games specifically
developed for the quad-core processor which sits inside the Prime. While
games found in the Tegra Zone are generally of a better quality than
the simpler time-wasters found in Google Play, it good to see that the
prices stick pretty closely to those in the standard Android store.
One
important point to make about gaming on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer
Prime is that the games look astounding - the best we have seen on any
tablet. ShadowGun in particular uses water effects that look ultra-realistic for a portable device (although nothing like, say, Battlefield 3 on a console). The most interesting comparison we discovered was between the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Asus Transformer Prime playing the same game, Riptide.
On
the Prime, the water effects were much more convincing, with waves
flowing back and forth and whitecaps that change as you drive your jet
ski. At the same time, the Apple iPad 2
may not play games as smoothly, but there is a much wider selection of
games, and many are arguably more in-depth. For example, the gameplay
for Infinity Blade II on the iPad 2 is far more advanced, with magic ring power-ups, duel-wielding options and collectible gems.
Many of the games on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime are more like visual effects demos, with limited gameplay value.
Camera and video
Camera
The Asus Transformer Prime offers up two camera options, a rear facing 8MP snapper and a front facing 1.2MP camera. The
camera app can be accessed straight from the lockscreen if you wish to
take a quick snap, or via the traditional camera app icon on the
homescreen or in the app list.
Photos we took with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime looked clear and colourful.
In a few cases, the colours weren't as vivid as those taken with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, but they were always sharper than the somewhat blurry images we took with the Apple iPad 2 with its lack-lustre 0.7MP camera. Asus
doesn't offer any extended features for taking photos on the
Transformer Prime, but you can change basic settings such as white
balance and exposure as well as choose from eight scene modes including
indoors, portrait, sunset and night.
There's also a single-LED
flash next to the camera on the back of the Prime, which is useful when
shooting in low light or complete darkness – although your subject can't
be too far away from you if you want it to show up in the picture.
There's
a digital zoom available, although picture quality becomes dramatically
reduced when used, and since Ice Cream Sandwich has been added to the
Prime, you also get a panorama mode to play around with. None
of the settings really add to the value of the camera or compete with a
more powerful smartphone or digital camera. Photos, like the Eee Pad
Transformer Prime's screen, tended to look a bit washed out but still
useable.
The Transformer Prime has a much faster shutter release
than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, however the auto-focus wasn't always
as reliable. See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image See full-res image
Video
One
initial complaint when shooting video with the Asus Transformer Prime
was that, when we recorded a 1080p video with the tablet, we noticed a
few stuttering problems during recording. But playback of this file was
smooth and didn't have any stuttering. Asus
recommended we try again without any apps running in the background,
and the test recording didn't stutter at all when doing this, with
smooth-as-butter playback.
Recorded videos also looked super-crisp, which is an important finding compared to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, which tends to film grainy and almost unusable videos. As
it stands, no tablet is ideal for shooting photos or recording video,
because you can't hold the device in a way that makes it easy to
capture stills or video - there is often a shaky-cam look no matter how
you hold them.
The Transformer Prime is no different, although the somewhat more rigid design and wider bezel makes it a hair easier to grip.
